Serial Saturday: The Stolen Man, Episode 6-6

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This is the episode number 41 of 48 episodes. I urge you not to start here. Instead click on the table of Contents and catch up from the beginning. Otherwise you will regret it.

The Stolen Man, Victory Episode 6-6

(S.M. Table of Contents)

It’s not just Dr. Sexton’s voice coming out of you but Dr. Sexton’s coldness, his attitude, inside you, that makes you pause. You are split. You are repulsed by your desires and yet you are also thrilled by them. You want to find Dan; to torture him into a confession; you need to find out what he knows, what he’s hiding. You rationalize, but you also don’t need to rationalize. You feel justified and you feel horrified. You stop, looking helplessly at Lorelei. Watching Dan turn a corner at the end of the hallway, passing through the stairway door and heading up or down, you don’t know which. Lorelei continues after him rounding the corner also.

You pause, but your body is already moving after Dan. Both of you agree, Troy and Dr. Sexton, for different reasons that finding Dan and learning what he knows is the best answer…whatever it takes.

“Troy, Stop.”

Seven stands at the end of the hallway, just a the corner the other two disappeared behind. They most have both seen him…unless.

“You’re not real either. You’re like Dr. Sexton. Just another split, aren’t you?”

“No Troy. I didn’t come from you. But I know you, better than you know yourself. You’re a little lost right now. Torn to pieces, I get that.”

“Then you know that I need to find Dan. To find out what he knows.”

“No, Troy. You really don’t. You didn’t listen to me before. I wish you’d listen now. You don’t remember yet, where it lead, but I do. I’ve seen this all before. You’re just making it happen again Troy. How many times do you have to do this before you learn?”

“This time I won’t erase it. This time I”ll figure out how to deal with it.”

“By dealing with Dan, you mean? It’s not that simple. Besides, it’s now what he knows that lead you to erase yourself. I’m afraid it’s what I know that lead you to that end. “

You stop in surprise, “Wait, so Dan doesn’t know anything?”

“Oh he does. He knows why you tried to kill him, why you wanted him dead.”

“You know too then? So just tell me.”

“If I tell you I fear it will be like pushing over the first domino. When you know that, it will lead you to what I know which will lead you to erasing yourself, and we start all over again.”

For a moment you wonder just how many times you’ve done this? But Helen would know and she didn’t say–you look straight at Seven.

“What is it? What did Dan do? It wasn’t an affair. What could possibly cause all this trouble.”

Seven sighs, “I’ll tell you Troy. At least you’re asking me. But you have to promise me you won’t pursue Dan until you’ve heard it all. No running off in the middle.”

You consider. Dr Sexton considers. Troy considers. “Ok,” you all say.

Seven looks at you searchingly, nods and begins, “It was Dan’s last cleanup assignment. You refused to do the erasure, and he claims you knew what that meant. That he’d have to take care of it his way. He believes you were playing dumb as usual, but knew exactly what would happen. It was worse than usual. It was just a little boy, “ Seven looks very old and tired all of a sudden, “just a six year old boy “